First Gladstone ministry


The Conservative government under Benjamin Disraeli had been defeated at the 1868 general election, so in December 1868 the victorious William Ewart Gladstone formed his first government. He introduced reforms in the British Army, the legal system and the Civil Service, and disestablished the Church of Ireland. In foreign affairs he pursued a peaceful policy. His ministry was defeated in the 1874 election, whereupon Disraeli formed a ministry and Gladstone retired as Leader of the Liberal Party.

Cabinet

December 1868 – February 1874

Changes

Cabinet members are listed in bold face.
OfficeNameDate
Prime MinisterWilliam Ewart Gladstone3 December 186817 February 1874
First Lord of the TreasuryWilliam Ewart Gladstone3 December 186817 February 1874
Leader of the House of CommonsWilliam Ewart Gladstone3 December 186817 February 1874
Chancellor of the ExchequerRobert Lowe9 December 1868
Chancellor of the ExchequerWilliam Ewart Gladstone11 August 1873
Parliamentary Secretary to the TreasuryGeorge Glyn9 December 1868
Parliamentary Secretary to the TreasuryArthur Peel1 August 1873
Financial Secretary to the TreasuryActon Smee Ayrton9 December 1868
Financial Secretary to the TreasuryJames Stansfeld2 November 1869
Financial Secretary to the TreasuryWilliam Edward Baxter17 March 1871
Financial Secretary to the TreasuryJohn Dodson11 August 1873
Junior Lords of the TreasuryJames Stansfeld16 December 18682 November 1869
Junior Lords of the TreasuryHenry Petty-FitzMaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne16 December 186825 April 1872
Junior Lords of the TreasuryWilliam Patrick Adam16 December 18688 August 1873
Junior Lords of the TreasuryJohn Cranch Walker Vivian16 December 18684 August 1870
Junior Lords of the TreasuryWilliam Henry Gladstone2 November 186917 February 1874
Junior Lords of the TreasuryLord Frederick Cavendish8 August 187317 February 1874
Junior Lords of the TreasuryAlgernon Greville8 August 187317 February 1874
Lord ChancellorWilliam Wood, 1st Baron Hatherley9 December 1868
Lord ChancellorRoundell Palmer, 1st Baron Selborne15 October 1872
Lord President of the CouncilGeorge Robinson, 3rd Earl de Grey9 December 1868
Lord President of the CouncilHenry Bruce9 August 1873
Lord Privy SealJohn Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley9 December 1868
Lord Privy SealCharles Wood, 1st Viscount Halifax6 July 1870
Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentHenry Bruce9 December 1868
Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentRobert Lowe9 August 1873
Under-Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentEdward Knatchbull-Hugessen10 December 1868
Under-Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentGeorge Shaw-Lefevre11 January 1871
Under-Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentHenry Winterbotham17 March 1871
Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsGeorge Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon9 December 1868
Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsGranville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville6 July 1870
Under-Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsArthur Otway12 December 1868
Under-Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsGeorge Byng, Viscount Enfield9 January 1871
Secretary of State for WarEdward Cardwell9 December 1868
Under-Secretary of State for WarThomas Barin, 2nd Baron Northbrook10 December 1868
Under-Secretary of State for WarHenry Petty-FitzMaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne26 April 1872
Financial Secretary to the War OfficeJohn Cranch Walker Vivian5 August 1870
Financial Secretary to the War OfficeHenry Campbell-Bannerman15 November 1871
Surveyor-General of the OrdnanceSir Henry Storks5 August 1870
Secretary of State for the ColoniesGranville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville9 December 1868
Secretary of State for the ColoniesJohn Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley6 July 1870
Under-Secretary of State for the ColoniesWilliam Monsell10 December 1868
Under-Secretary of State for the ColoniesEdward Knatchbull-Hugessen14 January 1871
Secretary of State for IndiaGeorge Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll9 December 1868
Under-Secretary of State for IndiaM. E. Grant Duff10 December 1868
First Lord of the AdmiraltyHugh Childers9 December 1868
First Lord of the AdmiraltyGeorge Goschen24 March 1871
First Secretary to the AdmiraltyWilliam Edward Baxter18 December 1868
First Secretary to the AdmiraltyGeorge Shaw-Lefevre17 March 1871
Civil Lord of the AdmiraltyGeorge Trevelyan21 December 1868
Civil Lord of the AdmiraltyRobert Haldane-Duncan, 3rd Earl of Camperdown11 July 1870
Vice-President of the Committee on EducationWilliam Edward Forster9 December 1868
Chief Secretary for IrelandChichester Fortescue16 December 1868
Chief Secretary for IrelandSpencer Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington12 January 1871
Lord Lieutenant of IrelandJohn Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer18 December 1868
Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterFrederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 5th Baron Dufferin and Clandeboye12 December 1868
Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterHugh Childers9 August 1872
Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterJohn Bright30 September 1873
President of the Poor Law BoardGeorge Goschen9 December 1868
President of the Poor Law BoardJames Stansfeld24 March 1871
Parliamentary Secretary to the Poor Law BoardArthur Peel10 December 1868
President of the Local Government BoardJames Stansfeld19 August 1871
Parliamentary Secretary to the Local Government BoardJohn Tomlinson Hibbert19 August 1871
Postmaster-GeneralSpencer Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington9 December 1868
Postmaster-GeneralWilliam Monsell14 January 1871
Postmaster-GeneralLyon Playfair18 November 1873
President of the Board of TradeJohn Bright9 December 1868
President of the Board of TradeChichester Fortescue14 January 1871
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of TradeGeorge Shaw-Lefevre9 December 1868
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of TradeArthur Peel14 January 1871
Paymaster GeneralFrederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 5th Baron Dufferin and Clandeboye12 December 1868
Paymaster GeneralHugh Childers9 August 1872
Paymaster GeneralWilliam Patrick Adam30 September 1873
First Commissioner of WorksAusten Henry Layard9 December 1868
First Commissioner of WorksActon Smee Ayrton26 October 1869
First Commissioner of WorksWilliam Patrick Adam11 August 1873
Attorney GeneralSir Robert Collier12 December 1868
Attorney GeneralSir John Coleridge10 November 1871
Attorney GeneralSir Henry James20 November 1873
Solicitor GeneralSir John Coleridge12 December 1868
Solicitor GeneralSir George Jessel10 November 1871
Solicitor GeneralSir Henry James26 September 1873
Solicitor GeneralSir William Vernon Harcourt20 November 1873
Judge Advocate GeneralSir Colman O'Loghlen16 December 1868
Judge Advocate GeneralJohn Robert Davison28 December 1870
Judge Advocate GeneralSir Robert Phillimore17 May 1871
Judge Advocate GeneralActon Smee Ayrton21 August 1873
Lord AdvocateJames Moncreiff10 December 1868
Lord AdvocateGeorge Young14 October 1869
Solicitor General for ScotlandGeorge Young14 December 1868
Solicitor General for ScotlandAndrew Rutherfurd-Clark14 October 1869
Attorney General for IrelandEdward Sullivan12 December 1868
Attorney General for IrelandCharles Robert Barry26 January 1870
Attorney General for IrelandRichard Dowse13 January 1872
Attorney General for IrelandChristopher Palles5 November 1872
Solicitor General for IrelandCharles Robert Barry12 December 1868
Solicitor General for IrelandRichard Dowse14 February 1870
Solicitor General for IrelandChristopher Palles6 February 1872
Solicitor General for IrelandHugh Law18 November 1872
Lord Steward of the HouseholdJohn Ponsonby, 5th Earl of Bessborough12 December 1868
Lord Chamberlain of the HouseholdJohn Townshend, 1st Earl Sydney9 December 1868
Vice-Chamberlain of the HouseholdValentine Browne, Viscount Castlerosse12 December 1868
Vice-Chamberlain of the HouseholdLord Richard Grosvenor25 February 1872
Master of the HorseGeorge Brudenell-Bruce, 2nd Marquess of Ailesbury12 December 1868
Treasurer of the HouseholdGeorge Fleming Warren, 2nd Baron De Tabley12 December 1868
Treasurer of the HouseholdAugustus Bampfylde, 2nd Baron Poltimore1 March 1872
Treasurer of the HouseholdWilliam Monson, 7th Baron Monson1 January 1874
Comptroller of the HouseholdLord Otho FitzGerald12 December 1868
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-ArmsThomas Foley, 4th Baron Foley12 December 1868
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-ArmsGeorge Phipps, 2nd Marquess of Normanby27 December 1869
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-ArmsFrancis Cowper, 7th Earl Cowper20 April 1871
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-ArmsHenry Fox-Strangways, 5th Earl of Ilchester1 January 1874
Captain of the Yeomen of the GuardWilliam Beauclerk, 10th Duke of St Albans22 December 1868
Master of the BuckhoundsRichard Boyle, 9th Earl of Cork12 December 1868
Mistress of the RobesElizabeth Campbell, Duchess of Argyll17 December 1868
Mistress of the RobesAnne Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland22 January 1870
Lords in WaitingGeorge Phipps, 2nd Marquess of Normanby17 December 186827 December 1869
Lords in WaitingRobert Haldane-Duncan, 3rd Earl of Camperdown17 December 186811 July 1870
Lords in WaitingFrancis Stonor, 4th Baron Camoys17 December 186817 February 1874
Lords in WaitingCharles Harbord, 5th Baron Suffield17 December 186825 February 1872
Lords in WaitingFrederick Methuen, 2nd Baron Methuen17 December 186817 February 1874
Lords in WaitingAlbert Parker, 3rd Earl of Morley22 December 186817 February 1874
Lords in WaitingCharles Brownlow, 2nd Baron Lurgan27 January 186917 February 1874
Lords in WaitingArthur Wrottesley, 3rd Baron Wrottesley27 December 186917 February 1874
Lords in WaitingCharles Gordon, 11th Marquess of Huntly21 July 18701 March 1873
Lords in WaitingValentine Browne, 4th Earl of Kenmare25 February 187217 February 1874
Lords in WaitingGavin Campbell, 7th Earl of Breadalbane1 March 187317 February 1874

;Notes